Back in 1998 I had the opportunity to attend a talk/meditation with Lama Surya Das. I had just read his book, Awakening the Buddha Within: Tibetan Wisdom for the Western World, and although I couldn't find anyone to go with me, I ventured forth and went to the talk alone. This was actually unheard of for me at that moment in my life. I was always very afraid of attending places alone, feeling all self-conscious, etc. But, I had really enjoyed the book and it was an opportunity I didn't want to pass up.
I wasn't sure what to expect since I had never attended anything like it and I definitely had never been a part of a group meditation. So, I was excited and scared and just did what I sometimes do in situations like that, I fake my way through them. I observe and pretend to know what I'm doing. No need to do that in this case since of course, everything was wonderful and everyone was very sweet and respectful and the like. Well, Lama Surya Das' talk was quite inspiring. He basically expanded what he had written about in the book and it was just a marvelous opportunity to get the information from him directly. At the end of his talk, he announced that we would then do a meditation session with him. I was like, Oh man, what's this going to be like. Coming from a Jehovah's Witness background, I had never really been involved in anything like that. There was no meditation taught, spoken or written about in their literature. None of that "going within" to find the answers and definitely, NO CHANTING! That was considered all sorts of wrong! A pathway to the devil for sure. So, at that moment, I really didn't know what was going to happen or how I was going to react to it. Again, I faked it. Well, I faked it at the start of the meditation, but then, something amazing happened.
He had us chant the word OM, but very, very slowly. We held on to the {{{{MMMM}}}} part of the word for quite some time every time it was said. At first my mind wandered and I kept opening my eyes to see what was going on. Then, I started to feel something in the room and in my body. The vibration formed by the {{{{MMMMM}}}} in OM started to take me into a deeper level of awareness. It wasn't only that I was chanting it, it was the also the addition of the entire room of close to 50 or 60 people. All of us united in this beautiful practice and chanting one simple word with so many meanings: OM (or AUM)
I wasn't sure what to expect since I had never attended anything like it and I definitely had never been a part of a group meditation. So, I was excited and scared and just did what I sometimes do in situations like that, I fake my way through them. I observe and pretend to know what I'm doing. No need to do that in this case since of course, everything was wonderful and everyone was very sweet and respectful and the like. Well, Lama Surya Das' talk was quite inspiring. He basically expanded what he had written about in the book and it was just a marvelous opportunity to get the information from him directly. At the end of his talk, he announced that we would then do a meditation session with him. I was like, Oh man, what's this going to be like. Coming from a Jehovah's Witness background, I had never really been involved in anything like that. There was no meditation taught, spoken or written about in their literature. None of that "going within" to find the answers and definitely, NO CHANTING! That was considered all sorts of wrong! A pathway to the devil for sure. So, at that moment, I really didn't know what was going to happen or how I was going to react to it. Again, I faked it. Well, I faked it at the start of the meditation, but then, something amazing happened.
He had us chant the word OM, but very, very slowly. We held on to the {{{{MMMM}}}} part of the word for quite some time every time it was said. At first my mind wandered and I kept opening my eyes to see what was going on. Then, I started to feel something in the room and in my body. The vibration formed by the {{{{MMMMM}}}} in OM started to take me into a deeper level of awareness. It wasn't only that I was chanting it, it was the also the addition of the entire room of close to 50 or 60 people. All of us united in this beautiful practice and chanting one simple word with so many meanings: OM (or AUM)
Global Om - 2009
The room started to vibrate with the power of OM. I felt it in my face, my chest, my arms, hands and fingers. Even my chair was vibrating. There was this incredible wave of energy that enveloped me and hopefully everyone else in that room. Instead of being freaked out, I was surprised to find myself completely immersed in it. I never wanted it to stop. This feeling of silent knowing and of all that is GOOD is what I had been striving for. Wow!
Well, as you can imagine, the meditation session had to end. Lama Surya Das expertly guided us back to "reality" and the night ended. I remember meeting a friend afterwards and having a hard time explaining to her what I had just experienced. Luckily, she was more attuned into the spiritual and chanting practice than I, so I didn't have to work too hard to explain it. But, that night and that experience has always stayed with me. I had first-hand knowledge of the power that we have at our disposal and how powerful indeed it could be when a group gathers with good intentions. The meditation/chanting also gave me a glimpse into our vibrational world. I felt the vibration of the word OM literally changed the atmosphere in the room until it became that loving wave that could be felt!
It had been years since I felt anything like that, but recently, I felt something very close to it. It happened at one of my last IntenSati sessions. This time, the feeling went a little beyond a wave of energy. It was more of a knowledge that was given to me. I'll go into details on Saturday. Until then, I encourage you to gain some knowledge about chanting meditations. Here's one to help you get started: OM Meditation
Peace and Light to you and KEEP DREAMING!
Gene-Manuel
Someone named Ashley commented on this post in regards to Lama Surya Das with a less than favorable opinion of him. I chose not to publish the post because what the Lama has or hasn't done in his private life is none of my business and it has nothing to do with my experience. At the time, my interaction with Lama Surya Das was a favorable one and one I will never forget. But thanks for visiting Ashley.
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